Vincent Valentine Rides a Horse
by Gimpy-Has-Rabies
Summary: Vincent Valentine suddenly appears on a horse farm and is completely at a loss of what to do with the only current occupent: a 20 year old girl named Jewel.
1. Part One: The Beginning

**Chapter 1**

He moved smoothly beneath me, his muscles gliding beneath his dark skin. I heard him grunt slightly with every thrust forward. His hooves struck the ground softly as he cantered. I guided him toward a loose section of fence and he leapt smoothly over it.

"Good boy, Nero." I patted his neck as I spoke.

"The two of you are looking great, Jewel."

I turned in the saddle to see my uncle standing outside the jumping arena. He was balding and what little hair he had left was quickly turning white. He had a round belly and looked soft, but I knew better. He had grown up riding and training horses and was as solid as the horse beneath me. I pulled Nero around and trotted toward him.

"Do you think we'll be ready for the tournament next month, Uncle Jon?" I climbed out of the saddle and lead Nero out of the gate.

"I think you're ready now," he chuckled. Nero tossed his head and pranced in place. "I think old Nero is ready too." He pulled a carrot out of his pocket and fed it to Nero. "But that's not why I came out here. Your aunt is getting irritated because you're always late for dinner and told me to come fetch you early."

We both laughed. "Alright, let her know that I'll be in just as soon as I tend to Nero."

"Will do." Uncle Jon was still laughing as he walked into the house.

Nero followed me into the barn, his hooves clunking dully on the sawdust covered floor. I removed his saddle and his bridle, closing the door to his stall on my way to the tack room. When I came back with a tray of grooming tools he had his nose shoved in his feed bucket, grunting unhappily. I set the tray on the side of the stall, laughing at him as I did so, I fetched his oats and hay. While he munched happily I brushed him down and cleaned out his hooves. I ran my palm over his neck and admired the shining black coat.

I walked into the kitchen just as Aunt Gerdy was putting supper on the table. Her full name was Gertrude but the three of us quickly agreed that it was too stuffy.

"How was training today, Jewel?" she set a bowl of gravy on the table as she spoke.

"It was great. Uncle Jon thinks we're ready for the tournament next month."

The three of us continued chatting throughout supper. First we talked about the tournament, then about the new foals that were to be born soon. After dishes were done Uncle Jon and I went back out into the barn and did a last check on all of the horses.

"I think Blaze is going to foal first."

Uncle Jon nodded as we gazed at her bloated stomach. "Within the week, I think. We should start figuring out a rotation schedule."

"Could I stay out here for a while?"

"You can stay out here all night if you want to."

I nodded, looking at Blaze as she moved around her stall. "I think I will. Leave a light on, alright? I'm going to go get my computer and a book."

Uncle Jon nodded and headed deeper into the barn while I strode back toward the house. Aunt Gerdy seemed to have disappeared until I heard water running in the bathroom upstairs. When I reached my room I flicked on the light and walked to my computer desk. I pulled the plug from the wall and gathered the cord into a twist-tie. I pulled a hooded sweatshirt over my head and grabbed a blanket. With the blanket thrown over my arm and my computer tucked close to my chest I examined my bookshelf. It took me a moment but I finally settled on a book about Ruffian, perhaps the best racing filly ever to set foot on the track.

Uncle Jon had already set up a cot next to Blaze's stall. I set my armload on the cot and went to the tack room. I grabbed what we called the foaling door – a piece of fabric sewn onto a rope that hung across the door and allowed us to see inside – and returned to the cot. As I opened the stall door, Blaze looked at me and pawed the ground nervously. I put up the foaling door, plugged in my computer, and settled onto the cot.

When I opened my computer the first thing I saw was Vincent Valentine. Perhaps the best video game character ever created, I had somehow developed quite the soft spot for Vincent. I quite frequently found myself staring at my background for several minutes before I did anything with my computer. Tonight I gazed at his pale face and red eyes until Internet Explorer loaded.

I spent a few hours watching random YouTube videos and searching for pictures. Around midnight, Blaze nudged my shoulder and nickered softly. Most of the horses in the barn were sleeping. Blaze was restless. I scratched her nose and went into the office. There was a refrigerator there where we kept medication and carrots. Gathering a few of the little orange delicacies I went back to Blaze and put them in her feed bucket. She munched happily and I went to Nero's stall. He was asleep but lifted his head almost immediately when I tapped on the stall door. His dark coat looked even darker with the sun gone. I had seen him outside in the dark and he looked like a mere shadow.

He gobbled up the carrots and started looking for more. When he found that I didn't have any more carrots hiding in my pockets he snorted on my shirt and turned in his stall, flicking his tail. I smiled and walked through the barn. Our other pregnant mares, Star and Gretta, were sleeping peacefully. When I returned to the cot, Blaze was walking in circles. She was agitated and I had the sudden urge to call the house and wake Uncle Jon. I watched her, debating, and after a few moments she calmed down and lay down in the corner. I lay in the cot facing her. She lay calmly as I watched, but I soon fell asleep.

I woke up to what I now believe to be the most hideous sound I have ever heard. I looked into the stall and saw two horses. Blaze was covered in sweat but standing. Lying at her feet was a small, glistening ball of bright fur. The noise was coming from Blaze.

Uncle Jon woke up on the second ring and was already pulling on his pants when I hung up. Back at the stall Blaze had started pacing in her stall. Fearing that she would accidently crush her foal, I entered the stall and knelt beside it. The foal was breathing but not trying to stand up.

The other horses were starting to wake up. I could hear them nickering to each other. Uncle Jon came running into the barn. He knelt beside me, touching the foal. I stood and grabbed hold of Blaze's halter.

"It's a girl," Uncle Jon muttered. "But something is wrong. She isn't trying to stand."

"She needs Blaze's milk. I don't know when she was born." I could hear the panic in my voice. I wanted this little filly to live. Something about her just said to me that I couldn't let her die.

Uncle Jon nodded. He started to shift himself around, sliding his hands under the filly's body. He managed to lift her and get her head near her mother's teat. I think I stopped breathing as I waited for her to start suckling. When she did I heaved a sigh and placed a big kiss on Blaze's muzzle. Uncle Jon lay the little girl down in the straw when she was no longer interested in drinking.

"We'll have to get some formula for her. I don't think she can stand though I don't see why. Hopefully she'll gain her strength soon." I could hear despair in my uncle's voice. We had lost foals in the past but I think my uncle was stabbed in his heart every time it happened. He looked at me and a slight smile spread across his face. "I'm going to run to the store. I'm sure you'll want some munchies and energy drinks. We aren't going to get much sleep for the next few days." He started to walk out of the barn but stopped and turned at the door. "Thank you, Jewel."

I wasn't sure what he was thanking me for but I was fairly certain it had something to do with our little filly.

**Chapter 2**

The next few days were rather depressing. The filly still unnamed, continued to be immobile. Uncle Jon lifted her and helped her suckle her mother every few hours and we took turns feeding her from a bottle. I had moved into the barn, keeping several changes of clothes in the office.

Late one night about a week after she was born, the filly still hadn't stood. Darwin would say it was natural selection which made this situation ironic. Our little filly was the daughter of Blaze and Darwin, a chestnut stallion. I chuckled as the thought entered my mind and Blaze and the filly looked at me.

Uncle Jon came into the barn. "I'm here to relieve you, young lady." There was the slightest hint of teasing in his voice.

"I can't sleep. I've been trying for hours."

"Go for a ride. I'm sure Nero would be more than happy to have a healthy gallop," he smiled. I frequently snuck out at night when I couldn't sleep to ride Nero in the shadows. Uncle Jon caught me at it a few years ago and we agreed not to tell Aunt Gerdy.

I smiled and nodded. I saddled Nero and led him from the barn. He tossed his head a flicked his tail a few times. He was happy to be going out into the night. I pulled myself into the saddle and squeezed his sides. Nero moved quickly into a trot and snuck into a canter while my thoughts were elsewhere. We cantered along the line of my uncle's property and turned away about half a mile from the barn. I let go of the reins and let Nero pick his way through a thin grove of trees and up a large, gently sloping hill. At one time there was a house on top of this hill. Its presence is evident due to the rock foundation. A long time past the occupants of the house planted a weeping willow tree in the yard. Now its flowing branches fell into the old living room.

Nero trotted right through the front door. I slid from his back and just stood there, both hands on the saddle, as if I were getting ready to mount him again. I looked over my shoulder at the trunk of the willow tree then stood on my toes to see over Nero's back at the ruins of the house. I thought for a moment then swung back into the saddle. I took control of Nero's head and guided him out of the house and down the hill, away from the barn. I could feel the despair trying to close in on my heart as images of the filly invaded my mind. Nero obeyed every command I gave him without a second thought. I hesitated for a moment when we came to a small stream but I quickly urged him through it.

I don't know where we went after the stream. I don't remember much about the rest of that night. I do remember rain, I remember thinking of the filly, I remember crying.

And I remember the sudden flash of Vincent Valentine's face in my mind just before the sun came up.

**Chapter 3**

I woke up on the couch, covered in blankets with a warm washcloth on my forehead. I could hear Aunt Gerdy and Uncle Jon talking in the other room. I pushed the blankets off and carried the washcloth with me. When she saw me Aunt Gerdy beckoned me closer. I sat in a chair at the dining room table.

"Jewel," Aunt Gerdy began. "My father is very ill. He is in the hospital and they aren't sure how long he is going to make it."

Her words hit me like a hammer. I barely knew my great uncle but I knew that both Aunt Gerdy and Uncle Jon were very close to him. If my great uncle didn't make it and the filly didn't make it, it would tear Uncle Jon apart.

"We are going to stay with my Mother for a few weeks. Do you need anyone to help you look after the horses?"

"No, I can do it myself."

"We'll be back in time for the tournament if you still want to go." Uncle Jon looked at me with serious eyes. He already knew the answer to that. Nero and I had been training for months.

I just nodded.

Aunt Gerdy continued. "We're going to the store soon to get groceries for you. Mr. Williamson is going to take us to the airport in a few hours. You should be able to call us at my parent's house tomorrow."

I nodded again.

A few hours later I was alone. I got a laundry basket and filled it with food from the kitchen. I was going to spend as much time in the barn as possible, coming in the house only to get more food, clothes, and take a shower. It was five at night by the time I got completely settled in the barn. I cleaned all the stalls, put fresh water and food into the buckets, put fresh hay in the stalls. I went to Blaze's stall. The poor mare hadn't been in the pasture since her filly was born.

I couldn't hold the filly up so she could suckle but I could bottle feed her. I fed her then went out to the pasture and brought the horses inside. By 8, I was done with all of the chores and closed myself into the barn for the night.

I woke up before my alarm sounded to a loud clap of thunder. The filly shook her head a few times but didn't try to stand. I looked at my alarm clock. The glowing green numbers read 1:48 in the morning. I had only been asleep for an hour since the last time I fed the filly.

I sat up. Some of the horses were restless. Many of them stood with their heads hanging out of their stalls. I stood and stretched, walking toward the door to the barn. I opened it just enough to see outside.

Rain was falling in blankets onto the ground. The pastures would be muddy when morning came. A flash of lightning illuminated the farm yard, creating shadows that didn't quite fit. I watched the rain fall and waited. I had seen something that didn't seem right with my memory of what the yard looked like. That next flash of lightning came and then I was sure I wasn't imagining things.

There was someone in my yard.

I slid out of the barn and into the rain, keeping out of the path of light from the barn door. Another flash of lightning illuminated the figure. Whoever it was, they were wearing a large coat or cloak of some kind. I moved a few feet toward the person and waited. Another flash of lightning showed that the person hadn't moved. I walked closer, thankful that the pelting raining covered the sound of my footsteps. Then I stepped in a hole.

I cried out in surprise as I fell to the ground. I heard the report of a gun and then the person as more lightning cut through the sky. His dark hair was matted against his skull and his deep eye pierced into mine. The barrel of his gun was pointed into my face.

"Who are you?" His voice was deep and attractive. I pushed myself out of the mud.

"I should be asking that since you _are _on my uncle's property." I knew it probably wasn't a good idea to be rude, but I was right. And neither of us could see. So I stepped to the side a little bit.

I heard a quiet grunt and the slither of metal against leather. Another flash of lightning showed his face again. I was completely stunned then had a thought. I walked toward the house, feeling for the banister in the dark. I opened the front door and turned on the outside light.

There he stood, illuminated by the bulb, standing in the mud and the rain. His pale face was framed by soaking black hair. Water streamed down his leather clothes and weighed down his cape.

I wondered what my face looked like. I imagine that I either looked stunned or mentally retarded.

Vincent Valentine was standing in my yard.

I walked toward him. I was sure that I was dreaming. There was no way this was really happening. This man wasn't real. I reached out to touch his face and he flinched away, reaching for his gun. I stepped back and just stared at him.

"Why are you staring?" I couldn't tell if he was angry or not. I was betting that he was. I _had _tried to touch him without permission.

I shook my head. "Nothing, no reason. Umm, if you don't mind my asking, what are you doing here?"

"I would tell you if I knew where I was." He was standing up straight again, his red eyes piercing into mine.

I heard a horse through the din of rain. Suddenly I remembered the filly. "Oh! Sorry, I have something I need to do. If you want to get out of the rain…" I didn't finish my sentence; I just went into the barn. When I got inside I started ringing water out of my hair. The clock now read 2:18. I had a moment to wonder how long I had been staring at Vincent as I pulled the wet hoodie over my head. I dropped it into a bucket and pulled off my shoes and socks. My t-shirt came next and then I slipped into the office. I took off all my wet clothes and replaced them with dry ones.

When went back into the barn Vincent was standing in front of a stall. Even dripping wet he was probably the most handsome person I had ever seen. He wasn't looking at me; he was looking at the horse in the stall. He happened to be looking at Nero. I went to Blaze's stall and checked the chart on the door. I had 12 minutes before I needed to feed the filly again. I put the chart back onto the hook and went to stand near Vincent, but not too near.

He ignored me for a moment. "What is this?" The question was so abrupt and strange that it took me a moment to answer.

"It's a horse. His name is Nero."

He looked at me and blinked slowly. I spent another moment realizing that he had never seen a horse before. He had chocobos.

"A horse is like a chocobo only it's not a bird." I explained. Comprehension dawned in his crimson eyes and he looked back at Nero. Now that we were in the light I looked at him more closely. He was more handsome than I had ever imagined. Beneath his leather clothing I could see that he was well muscled and I had a sudden thought, though I didn't expect it to work.

"Hey, umm, you never told me your name." I took a cautious step closer.

He turned toward me and one side of his lips twitched up. "You never told me yours either," he commented.

"I'm Jewel."

"Vincent."

I had a moment to wonder if I was going crazy. I took a deep breath to calm myself but the words still came out in a blur.

"Willyouhelpmewithsomething?"

His brow furrowed and his lips turned down. I took another deep breath and started counting to ten. I got to four.

"Will you help me with something?"

His lip twitched again. "Help you with what?"

"Well, umm…" I was looking into his deep eyes and couldn't make myself ask him. For some reason I just couldn't see him holding the filly. "Never mind." I turned and went back to the stall before he could see me blush as deep as his eyes. I went into the office and got the filly's formula ready. When I came back out Vincent had moved. He was standing next to my cot, looking at my computer. I froze half in the doorway, holding my breath. I turned toward me, confusion clear in his eyes.

He was still on my background.


	2. Part Two: Learning

He stood in the doorway of the stall while the filly suckled. I could feel his eyes on me but I couldn't bring myself to look at him. I concentrated on the filly, coaxing her to drink the last few drops of her formula. Neither of us had spoken since he saw himself on my computer.

The filly was done suckling. She started pulling at my shirt and I moved away from her. I couldn't put it off any longer. I had to look at him again. I stood and looked into his face, clutching the bottle like it was my last chance of survival. But what he said was not what I expected.

"What is wrong with that horse?"

I felt dumbstruck. "We don't know, she just won't stand up."

"What do you call her?"

"Well… we don't. We haven't named her yet."

"What will happen if she does not stand up?"

I paused. Just thinking about this made my heart ache. "We'll have to put her down." I muttered. I tried to leave the stall but he blocked my path.

"What do you mean?"

I wouldn't look at him now. I didn't want to answer his question because I didn't want to say it.

"If she doesn't stand up…" I sniffled. Tears were inevitable now. "Then we'll have to kill her." I pushed passed him now, hurrying into the office so he wouldn't see the tears. I stayed there for a few minutes, gaining control of my tears. Back in the barn, Vincent had gone missing. I wiped a stray tear from my eye and went back to Blaze and the filly.

Vincent was in the stall, kneeling beside the filly. He was stroking her with his golden-clawed hand. He held his other hand on her chest. He stoked her gently for a few minutes then slid his clawed hand around her girth. I felt a surge of fear. I was so sure that the claws on that hand had cut into the filly.

He pulled her into his lap, stroking her neck with his normal hand. He looked up at me. "Put her feet underneath her."

I didn't question him. I knelt beside them and maneuvered the filly's hooves so that they would support her weight. Once I got her front feet planted, she started scrambling with her hind legs, trying to find purchase in the straw. I helped her settle her hooves and stepped back. Vincent slowly let go of her, allowing her to hold herself up. She wobbled slightly but didn't fall. Blaze had been watching us and she stepped toward her filly. The filly stood completely still for a moment then took her first few wobbly steps. I could feel tears stinging at the back of my eyes again, this time out of pure joy.

Our filly could walk.

"Laysha."

I looked at Vincent. "Laysha?"

"You should name her Laysha." He stood as he spoke, his cape hung heavily, still damp with rain.

I whispered the name to myself, looking at the filly. She had fluffy golden coat. I remember hoping that she would keep the golden coat. I had always had a soft spot for buckskin horses. Then I nodded.

"I like it. I'll run it by my uncle tomorrow, I'm sure he'll love it." I looked up at Vincent. His eyes were hard, guarded. I looked at his clothes, still dripping slightly. "Do you want some dry clothes?"

He chuckled now. "I don't think your clothes would fit me."

I was suddenly very confused. Vincent was supposed to be very serious, withdrawn. Standing in front of me was a man that tried to be withdrawn and serious but couldn't help himself. It seemed to me that he couldn't stop himself from smiling.

"Well, we could go into the house; you can take a shower if you like. While you're doing that I could dry your clothes. What do you think?"

He seemed to ponder this idea for a moment. "I suppose there is no harm in that. Lead the way."

The rain had stopped but I could hear thunder in the distance. I slipped off my shoes and trotted up the stairs. Behind me I could hear Vincent's boots clunking against the wood. I'd have to clean up the mud while he was in the shower. At the top of the stairs, I glanced into my bedroom. The light was off and the bed made. It had been more than a week since I had last slept in my bed. I turned to the right and headed down the hallway to the bathroom. When I got to the door I turned to face Vincent but he was gone. The light in my room was on.

He had a book in his hands. The cover was soft, red velvet. There was no print on the inside, just handwriting. He'd found my journal.

I rushed toward him and pulled the journal from his hand. He looked at me curiously then looked back to my books.

"Are there any other books I shouldn't be looking at?" he mused.

"No, the bathroom is down the hall."

"I'll set my clothes outside the door."

I nodded but stayed where I was as he walked to the bathroom. When I heard water running I knelt by my bed and reached under it. I kept a small, wooden box with hidden there. Uncle Jon told me that my father made it when I was young so when I got older I could keep my secrets here. I kept the key on a chain around my neck. I held my breath and listened to the running water before opening the box.

Inside was a picture of my parents in the hospital the day I was born, my birth certificate, and the journal my mother kept. I placed my journal on top of hers then locked the box and but it back under the bed.

Vincent's clothes were waiting outside the bathroom door. His boots sat beside them on the carpet. I lifted the boots and the clothes, taking them downstairs to the laundry room. I put his clothes in the drier and took the boots outside. There was a water spicket just outside the door and I rinsed his boots with it. Setting them beside the washer I grabbed a towel out of the dirty laundry and wiped the stairs clean. I checked to see if water was still running in the bathroom then lay down on the couch. I closed my eyes and imagined what Laysha would look like when she grew. I imagined her having a long, shimmering black tail, a shimmering gold coat. I saw her long legs, wide chest, and powerful hind quarters. I fell asleep watching her run through the grass.

When I woke up the sun was shining through the windows. Something in the living room glinted brightly. Nothing in the living room shone like that. I opened my eyes and saw Vincent sitting in one of the chairs, watching me. He wasn't wearing his cape and as I sat up I noticed it resting on the banister. I had been so sure last night was just a dream but now, seeing him sitting in my living room, the sun glinting off his clawed hand, I knew that it was real.

I jumped up from the couch. "You're still here."

"Yes I am. And before you rush out into the barn, Laysha is doing well."

I nodded. Of course she was doing fine, she was a strong filly. She was going to be a beautiful mare, just as I had imagined last night. I went into the kitchen. I wasn't sure if he had followed me or not until I heard his boots clicking on the linoleum. I picked up the phone and called my great uncle's house.

Aunt Gerdy answered the phone. I told her what had happened the night before, altering the story a bit in an attempt to keep Vincent out of her knowledge. She accepted my story and continued with small talk for a short while. When we got off the phone Vincent was leaning against one of the counters. I gazed at him for a moment then looked around the kitchen. My eyes landed on the clock above the stove. I should have been in the barn an hour ago.

I walked to the front door and tied on my boots. Vincent followed me, like he always did. I wondered why he did that as I walked to the barn. I went through all the motions of the morning; feeding, cleaning stalls, and taking horses to pasture. Vincent stayed out of my way, watching silently. When all the horses were in the pasture and all the stalls were clean I went to see Blaze and Laysha.

Laysha was standing on the far side of her mother, peeking around her chest. I had half expected to find her lying down again, but here she stood, completely at ease. As we watched she walked around her mother, almost as if she were showing off.

She wasn't going to be able to go outside yet. I didn't want her to hurt herself playing in the field. Blaze was slowly becoming irritable because she couldn't go outside either. I hoped to let her out soon.

I turned around and ran into Vincent. I stumbled and he wrapped an arm around me, holding me close to his body.

He was solid; every inch of his body was solid. I looked up at him and found his crimson eyes just inches away from mine. My breath stopped in my throat, his intense gaze surprised me. After a moment he straightened and allowed me to get my feet beneath me before he let me go. I remembered how to breathe and walked toward Nero's stall. The stallion met me at the door, hanging his head into the isle. I stroked his nose and led him into the isle, tying him to the cross ties.

I started to groom him but couldn't keep my silence.

"Vincent, it doesn't seem like you've been acting like yourself."

"How would you know what I usually act like?" He sounded almost hostile.

"Well, umm…" How do you tell someone that they aren't real? I decided that he would get angry if I told him the truth, but he would also get mad if I didn't answer him. Apparently I hesitated too long.

He came up beside me, looking down into my eyes. I put Nero to my back and Vincent moved closer, almost touching. "I decided something while you were asleep." He reached out and touched Nero's neck. "These animals can't be real, which means that none of this is real. Thus, I am dreaming. If I am dreaming, I can act however I want."

I forced myself to breathe again. "Since you're dreaming, you can't get hurt." A small smile tugged at my lips. "Want to learn how to ride?"


End file.
